Trains generally include at least one locomotive and at least one non-powered rail vehicle. In some configurations, multiple locomotives may be arranged throughout the train such that the locomotives may be separated, individually or as a locomotive consist (a group of directly coupled locomotives), by one or more of the non-powered rail vehicles. In such an arrangement, one of the locomotives, regardless of where it is positioned along the train, may be designated as the lead or master locomotive. For being remotely positioned with respect to the other locomotives, a single locomotive or a locomotive consist that is arranged between non-powered rail vehicles along the train may be generally referred to as a remote locomotive or a remote locomotive consist.
Often times, remote locomotives, either individually or within a consist, may be unmanned and may be vulnerable to unauthorized access. As an example, during a normal operating scenario, all of the locomotives in the train may run a pre-departure test and security verification, which however, would require a staff member to walk the entire train to manually verify each locomotive and ensure security thereof. Moreover, even after such time consuming verification, a person who is determined to gain entry may attempt unauthorized access post-departure. While efforts have been made to implement a detection system to notify an operator on-board another locomotive, such detection systems may be responsively less effective in trains which utilize automated or semi-automated master locomotives.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0076290 (the '290 publication) discloses a detection system and method for a rail vehicle. The detection system of the '290 publication includes a control module that determines the occupancy status of a rail vehicle. When the control module determines that the occupancy status is “occupied” the control module may provide notification, of unauthorized entry and occupation of the rail vehicle, to another rail vehicle or an off-board location. The control module may also respond to an “occupied” status by disabling the operator interface on the rail vehicle that is determined to be occupied without authorization. While effective, the detection system of the '290 publication provides countermeasures in response to an “occupied” status determination that merely communicate notification of unauthorized occupation and/or disable the operator interface located onboard the rail vehicle.